China Business License and the Unified Social Credit Code

Search the registered Chinese legal name or the 18-character Unified Social Credit Code on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System at gsxt.gov.cn, which is the official registry run by the State Administration for Market Regulation. Confirm the name, code, status, registered capital, address and business scope all match the licence you were sent. Commercial databases such as Qichacha or Tianyancha are convenient for a first pass, but they are secondary sources.

It is the Unified Social Credit Code, the permanent identifier defined by national standard GB 32100-2015. It serves as both the company registration number and the taxpayer number, and it does not change when the company moves, renames or changes shareholders.

The first character identifies the registering department and the second the entity category. 9 means the market regulation authority, which handles ordinary businesses, so 91 is the combination on almost every commercial company, including foreign-invested ones. A code starting with 1 or 5 belongs to a government body or a civil affairs organisation rather than a trading company.

Yes. Characters 3 to 8 are the administrative division code of the registering authority under GB/T 2260. For example, 460100 is Haikou in Hainan. If those digits point to a different city from the one a counterparty claims, ask why.

GB 32100-2015 excludes them so the code cannot be misread as the digits 1, 0 or 2. If a number you have been given contains one of those letters, it has been mistyped or invented.

Usually no. The registered Chinese legal name is what binds in a contract and what the registry searches on. An English name used on a website, business card or invoice generally has no registered status, so always obtain the Chinese name and the credit code.

Yes. Under Article 23 of the Implementing Rules of the Regulations on the Registration of Market Entities, an electronic business licence has the same legal effect as the paper version. A screenshot on its own still proves nothing and should be matched against the live registry record.

They carry equal legal effect. The original (正本) is issued singly and must be displayed prominently at the business premises, while one or more duplicates (副本) are portable and are what you will usually be sent. Neither is more authentic than the other.

The 经营异常名录 flags a company that failed to publish its annual report on time, failed to disclose information when ordered, failed to register a required name change, or could not be reached at its registered address. The last reason matters most when assessing a supplier, because it suggests the registered address may not be genuine. The listing is published on the same official registry.

No. Registered capital is the amount shareholders have committed to contribute, not money held in a bank account, and an active registration status says nothing about solvency or payment history. Financial standing requires separate enquiry.

No. The scope separates general items, which a company may start on registration, from licensed items that require prior approval. Regulated activities such as food, medical devices, education, travel services and telecoms need a separate permit, so check that the permit is held by the same entity and has not expired.

Not necessarily, but it is out of date. Before the "three-in-one" reform that took effect on 1 October 2015, companies held a separate business licence, organisation code certificate and tax registration certificate. Those were replaced by one licence carrying the Unified Social Credit Code, with the changeover largely complete by the end of 2017. Ask for the current licence and verify it against the registry.